“Wait!” Uchiha Chiri suddenly regained her senses and said, “Uchiha Kagami, as the son of Elder Uchiha Ming, is already an overt traitor. Doesn’t that mean there are even more covert traitors? Is our Uchiha Clan really that dangerous? Then, Tenxiu brother, are these traitors approaching because they’re targeting you?”
“If that’s the case, Tenxiu brother, you’re in danger!”
Uchiha Chiri asked worriedly, gripping Uchiha Tenxiu’s arm tightly.
Uchiha Lingyue also looked at Uchiha Tenxiu.
“Hmm! There must be quite a few of those covert traitors, but they shouldn’t be anyone important. Only those who are usually inconspicuous would be targeted by our Uchiha Clan’s enemies without us noticing!”
Uchiha Tenxiu pondered for a moment before concluding.
The Uchiha Clan at this time was not as weakened in strength as in later generations. Even a ruthless person like Senju Tobirama, no matter how bold, wouldn’t dare to make too many moves against true elite Ninja. To be safe, similar to the control and replacement methods Danzo used in later generations, Senju Tobirama, with his intelligence, could certainly achieve it.
But he wouldn’t make it too obvious.
Most likely, he would only replace and control a group of ordinary clan members to regularly obtain intelligence.
After all, truly important intelligence would only circulate among the top Ninja of the entire Uchiha Clan.
What ordinary clan members could access was very limited.
He was only doing this as a precaution.
“Then are we just going to let him act and use these methods to harm our Uchiha Clan members!”
Listening to Uchiha Tenxiu’s explanation, Uchiha Lingyue said indignantly, wishing she could retaliate.
“Don’t worry, I’ll deal with it in a while!” Uchiha Tenxiu said mysteriously, as if he already had a plan.
Beside him, Uchiha Lingyue and Uchiha Chiri looked at Uchiha Tenxiu’s confidence and couldn’t help but start to look forward to it.
Uchiha Tenxiu looked up at the Second Hokage’s stone carving on the Hokage Rock and couldn’t help but sneer: “They all say the Uchiha Clan is troublesome and can’t integrate into Konoha Village, but looking at his series of methods, he clearly doesn’t consider the Uchiha Clan as his own people. He completely treats them as a potential enemy. His so-called integration into Konoha Village is just a euphemism for them completely disappearing and being consumed by Konoha?”
“Fine! Either way, it’s only a month!”
...
On the other side, after Uchiha Kagami’s plan to communicate with Uchiha Tenxiu and the other two failed, he decided to approach the other Uchiha Clan geniuses one by one.
Even though these remaining Uchiha Clan geniuses were not as famous as Uchiha Tenxiu, they were by no means ordinary people. Each of them was a future star of their respective branches.
However, when faced with Uchiha Kagami’s friendly overtures, these geniuses, who had always admired Uchiha Kagami, now showed troubled expressions and politely declined.
After all, virtually all Uchiha Clan geniuses who could distinguish themselves had received warnings from the clan elders, as well as the fact that Uchiha Ming was a traitor. The reason the entire clan hadn’t been notified yet was simply to keep Uchiha Kagami as an overt traitor, to be manipulated by Senju Tobirama.
Uchiha Kagami, unaware of his exposure, faced these rejections and merely felt that everyone present was too narrow-minded because he was the Hokage’s disciple.
“Don’t they know that the so-called Hokage is not about power, but responsibility? The Uchiha Clan hasn’t taken on the responsibility of the Hokage yet. Shouldn’t they reflect and try to change themselves, instead of just blaming the teacher?”
“Such narrow-minded thinking, just as my father said, how could it possibly integrate into Konoha Village?”
Uchiha Kagami, having accomplished nothing, was utterly exhausted and helpless against the clan geniuses’ resistance.
Uchiha Kagami wondered what would happen if he told Senju Tobirama that his mission had failed.
Uchiha Kagami instinctively covered his face, trembling all over, as if he had thought of something terrifying.
About twenty days ago...
“Tobirama, tell me, what have you done!” Accompanied by a furious roar, Senju Hashirama, like an enraged lion, violently pushed open the door of the Hokage Office. His sharp gaze, like two bolts of lightning, shot directly at Senju Tobirama, as if to pierce him.
Senju Tobirama trembled all over at this sudden scene, his Hokage hat falling to the ground. He stood frozen, looking at his elder brother’s furious face, a surge of fear welling up in his heart. Senju Tobirama knew that the information he had concealed for over ten days had finally been discovered by his elder brother.
“Brother…” Senju Tobirama’s throat felt as if something was blocking it, and his voice was hoarse. He swallowed hard, composed himself, and then quickly began to explain, “It’s like this, Brother…”
Senju Tobirama recounted the disappearance of the two Anbu squads and Uchiha Ming’s death, truthfully and in detail.
However, during his narration...
He still made small alterations to some details.
After all, there were some things he didn’t want his elder brother to know too clearly.
However, Senju Hashirama was not someone to be easily fooled. He stared intently at Senju Tobirama, not missing any change in his expression. Under Senju Hashirama’s piercing gaze, Senju Tobirama felt as if he were a person stripped naked, with nowhere to hide.
Although somewhat unwilling, Senju Tobirama still dared not conceal too much from his elder brother. Under Senju Hashirama’s persistent questioning, he eventually revealed the general truth of the matter, though the process itself had been slightly altered.
According to Senju Tobirama’s account, the general situation was as follows: The Earth Spider Clan came to form an alliance, attempting to establish their own power outside Konoha Village. He felt they might become a potential threat, so he did not immediately agree, remaining hesitant. It just so happened that Uchiha Ming, eager to become clan head, tried to entrust him with eliminating his family rival, Uchiha Raimon. If he could achieve this, Uchiha Ming would ensure the clan’s integration into Konoha Village. For the long-term development of Konoha Village, he could only reluctantly accept, entrusting this mission to the Earth Spider Clan, promising them an alliance if they completed it. Unexpectedly, the mission failed, and he inadvertently blamed the Earth Spider Clan. Uchiha Ming was also forced by the Uchiha Clan to investigate the culprit, falling into a very passive situation. To solve these problems, he racked his brains, pondering deeply, and finally apologized to the Earth Spider Clan to achieve an overt reconciliation. Finally, he had Uchiha Ming lead two Anbu squads to feign a mission, giving the Uchiha Clan an explanation.
“Who could have known that a mission that was supposed to be completed quietly was widely publicized by Uchiha Ming, becoming known to everyone in Konoha Ninja Village? The Earth Spider Clan probably also got wind of this. They thought our Senju Clan and Uchiha Clan had reconciled and were using them to settle scores with the Earth Spider Clan.”
“You know the result later, this mission was a complete failure!” Senju Tobirama glanced at his elder brother, Senju Hashirama, whose serious face made him involuntarily lower his head.
“In short, that’s how it is.” Senju Tobirama finished speaking, taking a deep breath, as if to embolden himself.
“Alas, Tobirama, you were wrong this time!” Senju Hashirama closed his eyes. “No matter what, you shouldn’t have made trouble for the Earth Spider Clan! They came to form an alliance. Konoha is not a dictatorship; it should welcome all clans to join. Even if they don’t directly join Konoha, they shouldn’t be treated as enemies!”
“This is your first mistake.”
“Secondly, you should never have used the Earth Spider Clan to deal with the Uchiha Clan. I don’t know if Uchiha Ming wants to be clan head, but using a potential Konoha ally to deal with people from the Village is already a grave mistake. According to my original thoughts, I should have revoked your Hokage position!”
Senju Hashirama’s grim face showed no emotion as he spoke, like a cold machine, and continued: “You should be glad that my time is limited. For the stability of the Village, I can overlook these matters!”
“But from now on, you are not allowed to scheme against the two clans anymore!”